Printing-type.



PATENTED JAN. 29, 1907.

;E; B. oswALT. PRINTING TYPE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.18, 1905.

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UNITED STATES EUGENE B. OSI/VALT, OF TUSKEGEE, ALABAMA.

PRINTING-TYPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 29, 1907.

Application filed December 18, 1905. Serial No, 292,333.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE B. OSWALT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tuskegee, in the county of Macon and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Printing-Types, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates generally to printing-types, and particularly to one adapted for use in marking the cost price, the selling price, or either or both on merchandise.

The object of the invention is to provide a type in which practically indefinite permutations of the character of the imprint may readily and easily be secured, thereby to render it possible for any number of merchants in the same locality to use the same character of type and yet leave each ignorant of the meaning intended to be conveyed by another.

A further object is to minimize the time and labor involved in marking merchandise and to maximize the accuracy and speed of the procedure.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel form of multiplex printing-type, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. 1

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a collective view exhibiting one arrangement of the types for marking goods. Fig. 2 is a view in plan eX- hibiting one manner in carrying the invention into effect Fig. 3 is a collective detail view in perspective of the different parts of the type.

The type, which is made of rubber, although it may be made of any other suitable material, embodies a non-reversible element The element B is preferably a solid cylinder, and is provided atone terminal with a star I) and at its other terminal with a bar 6 the element B being adapted to fit snugly and to turn or revolve within the orifice a of the element A.

While a crescent, star, and bar are herein selected as appropriate printing characters, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto, as any other com: bination of symbols adapted for the purpose may be employed and still be within the scope of the invention.

In Fig. 1 there is shown an arrangement of type for marking goods that are numbered from 1 to O, and these represent the 11 111- merals, the eleventh type being designated as a repeater, and the twelfth type in this instance as a dollar-mark, although it may stand for any other arbitrary or selected symbol. To secure the numerals 1 to 4, the element B is removed from the element A, and the positions in which the crescents are disposed relatively to the last-named element determine the value of the type. Thus for the numeral 1 the belly of the crescent is disposed at the upper left-hand corner of the element A, for the numeral 2 at the lower left-hand corner, for the numeral 3 at the lower right-hand corner, and for the numeral 4 at the upper right-hand corner. To secure the numerals 5 to 8, the element B is posi: tioned within the element A, with the star printing position, the same relative positions of the crescents being observed, as above. To secure the numerals 9 and 0 and the repeater and the dollar-mark, the element B is re versed to bring the bar to printing position, the same relative positions of the crescents being observed as in the other combinations.

In the use of the device a suitable holder C is employed in which the types are held, preferably, by frictional contact with the walls of grooves or channels provided for the purpose and in the same manner as with ordinary rubber printing-stamps in common use. As shown in Fig. 2, the types are arranged to indicate that the cost of the article is $1.75 and the selling price is $2.50, and a comparison of the positions of the printing elements shown in this figure with the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 will render'clear an understanding of the notation.

As stated, it is an object of the invention to provide type in which practically indefinite permutations of the character of imprint may be secured, thus to render it possible for a number of merchants in the same locality to use the same character of type and yet cause each to be illegible to all of the others except to the merchant having the key. The manner in which these permutations can be effected, is thought to be obvious; but in order that it may readily be understood an illustration will be given.

With the arrangement of the crescents shown in types 1 to 4 four permutations without the stars or bars are secured. By shifting the points of the stars relatively to the bends of the crescents or to the tips of the horns thereof other permutations too numerous to compute are secured. Substantially the same number of permutations can be secured by reversing the element B to bring the bar to printing position.

i In addition to the above numerous per" mutations it is possible to secure an indefinite number of other permutations by breaking the order which the types are arranged to represent the numerals. Thus, for example, should one merchant elect to have the numerals, repeater, and dollar-mark arranged as shown in Fig. 1, this combination could be destroyed by another merchant simply by taking one of the other numerals-say 4- and substituting it for 1 or in otherwise changing the arrangement of the types. As the number of permutations that could thus be secured is practically unlimited, further illustrations are deemed unnecessary.

In the use of the device, when a large number of articles are to be marked with the same pricesuch as handkerchiefs, stockings, &c. the clerk will take the stampholder and place therein the requisite types for the cost and selling marks and then rapidly imprint the marks on suitable tags or the like. This will result, as will be obvious, not only in greater rapidity in applying the marks, but in the secureme'nt of absolute ac curacy.

I claim 1. A multiplex type embodying a non-reversible element provided with an orifice of uniform diameter extending therethrough from its base, and a reversible element rotatably mounted within and insertible into either end of the orifice and provided with a printing-symbol upon each end.

2. A mulitplex type embodying a non-reversible type having a cylindrical orifice of uniform diameter extending therethrough from the face thereof, and a cylindrical re versible element rotatably mounted within and insertible into either end of the orifice and provided with terminal printing-symbols.

3. A multiplex type comprising an angular non-reversible element having a cylindrical orifice of uniform diameter extending therethrough from the face thereof, and a cylindrical reversible element rotatably mounted within and insertible into either end of the orifice and provided with a printing-symbol at each end thereof.

4. A multiplex type one element of which is rectangular in cross-section and has a printing-symbol upon one face, said element being provided with a cylindrical orifice of uniform diameter extending therethrough from said face, and a reversible cylindrical element rotatably mounted within and insertible into either end of the orifice and having a printing-symbol at each end thereof, either of said symbols adapted to cooperate with the first mentioned symbol for designating purposes.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE B. OSXVALT. Witnesses E. A. Cox, R. G. HARDwroK. 

